Kwanghi Chan is BaxterStorey’s Hospitality Development Chef and one of Ireland’s most popular chefs. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Donegal, Kwanghi has competed for Ireland internationally and held the head chef title in Michelin starred Cliff House Hotel for over 3 years. Famous for his unique Chinese style dishes, Kwanghi shares his favourite recipe for Chinese New Year, Vegetable Lo Mein.

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) lo mein egg noodles

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar + 1 teaspoon hot water to dissolve the sugar

Pinch of five spice powder (optional)

1 tablespoon oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or button mushrooms)

1 scallion, split at the thick part and cut into 2-inch lengths

1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, julienne style

1 small carrot, julienne style

A handful snow peas

A handful of leafy greens (bok choy, choy sum, etc.)

Method

Boil water in a large pot for the noodles. If using the lo mein egg noodles, you can skip this step, as those noodles do not require any pre-cooking. But if using fresh white noodles, you will have to boil them.

Cook until al dente, drain, and rinse in cold water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauces, sesame oil, dissolved sugar, and five spice powder if using.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat and add the garlic, mushrooms, and the white parts of the scallions. Stir-fry for 30 seconds and add the peppers and carrots. Make sure your hot is searing hot. Stir fry for another minute.

Next, add the snow peas and leafy greens to the wok and cook until the greens are just wilted. Then add your noodles. Make sure that before you add them to the pan, they’re somewhat loose and not all clumped together (you can rinse them in warm water to loosen them up before adding them to the pan).

Pour your sauce mixture over the noodles and stir-fry until the colour of the noodles are uniform. A folding or scoop and lift motion works well for that. Once everything is well-combined, dish out the noodles and serve.